Power by Persuasion: The New Face of Foreign Influence in India

Today, power is not simply quantified in terms of military or economic power, but it increasingly resides in the ability to shape knowledge and guide societal perceptions toward an understanding of reality. At every point on our planet, states and networks are using advanced tactics to drive public perception, well beyond the raw propaganda of yesteryear.

Illustration by The Geostrata

But rather than trying to prove one argument, these operations seek to push the larger conversation subtly in a direction where some stories become reasonable.

Democracies, being open and dedicated to free discussion, are especially vulnerable to such influence operations. India is no different, as its Indo-Pacific role grows, so does foreign interest in shaping the views of its journalists, academics, and policymakers.

THE SINGAPORE SCHOLARS CASE

In early 2023, two pseudonyms began appearing in Indian researchers' and journalists' mailboxes, namely "Julia Chia" and "Jian Qiang Wong", where Chia supposedly worked as a senior programme manager at the National University of Singapore, and Wong introduced himself as a scholar from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

They reached out to individuals by LinkedIn, Facebook and even WhatsApp with money as a reward and offered to work on Asia-Pacific security issues and when the respected institutions were directly contacted, the NUS and SIIA both verified they had never heard of these individuals and on top of it even the Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, later confirmed the suspicion by tweeting on X, he said: “To be clear, these accounts, which proclaim to be from Singapore, are fake.

These individuals do not work for NUS or Singapore think-tanks.” Singapore and Indian news sources cover the story in the same way with fictitious names, appropriate subjects and money offers. This example reflects a pattern observed in Chinese influence efforts in countries like Australia, Canada and the United States, where local experts are encouraged to produce analysis that aligns with Beijing’s narrative. 

This event is part of a wider trend that has been termed by researchers as "sharp power",  The report actually put a name to something many observers had been noticing for years that countries like China is no longer relying solely on open persuasion or cultural appeal to shape opinions in other countries but instead it is using quieter more manipulative tools to bend conversations and institutions in their favour.

FROM INDIVIDUALS TO INSTITUTIONS

The use of fake profiles is only a piece of a wider strategy. Indian security agencies have also been observing an increasing number of China-linked think tanks and research programs attempting to gain a foothold in Indian institutions. Some Chinese think tanks and universities have approached their Indian counterparts for collaboration by establishing "China Study Centres" within universities or initiating exchange programmes for Indian research scholars and students.

Behind the scenes, according to officials, they provide space where Beijing can subtly shape the way India's strategic community views China's goals and policies. Functions and events held under such collaborations typically have Chinese diplomats and scholars present, many of whom have close links to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department, the body responsible for shaping China’s image and influence abroad.

These functions tend to be tightly controlled and scrutinised. Questions from Indian attendees are carefully vetted, and sensitive topics such as Tibet, Xinjiang and border tensions are usually avoided from the conversation. Ajai Sahni from the Institute of Conflict Management has noted that this is an old Chinese pattern, with cultivating sympathetic opinion leaders overseas are able to get Beijing's stories to sound like expert opinion. 

THE GLOBAL WEB: NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM AND NETWORKED NARRATIVES

In 2023 New York Times looked into a worldwide web of groups connected to American tech businessman Neville Roy Singham, and in this report, they described how Singham's charities and media operations in several countries created content in accordance with Chinese state policies.

One of the Indian outlets associated with such a network was NewsClick, and Legal filings made by India's Enforcement Directorate stated that NewsClick was funded by actors associated with Singham, where a lot of NewsClick's coverage echoed themes found in Chinese state media, which is often sceptical of Western alliances in the Indo-Pacific and supportive of China’s views on technology and growth.

Singham is now based in Shanghai and conveying his activities as supporting progressive and anti-imperialist causes. Researchers believe that the network’s content serves Chinese state interests by forming an ‘influence ecosystem’ that uses the language of activism to promote Beijing’s narratives. It happens through fake LinkedIn profiles, sometimes through overseas funding links, but the goal is the same, which is to make foreign talking points sound local and authentic.

WHY IT MATTERS

Money isn’t always what drives these efforts, as sometimes, the real pull comes from being offered access to closed-door meetings or research ties. Even when people don’t consciously change their views, hearing the same messages again and again can dull their scepticism. What makes these operations effective is how quietly they work; instead of pushing, they aim to flatter, reward cooperation and even make influence feel like a personal opportunity.

LEARNING FROM OTHERS

Australia and Canada have somewhat experienced the same challenge, as in these two nations, Chinese United Front activities targeted the academics, domestic politicians and Chinese diaspora communities. Their governments reacted by strengthening foreign interference legislation and requiring more openness from institutions that accept foreign funding.

India is now navigating carefully the same route too, as the Ministry of Home Affairs strengthened the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act,  by preventing NGOs funded from abroad from publishing news content without express authorisation. The government has also initiated an inspection into suspected foreign influence over the information space, including funding leads linked with overseas networks. 

THE SPACE BETWEEN ENGAGEMENT AND INFLUENCE

It's worth keeping in mind that real academic and cultural exchanges with China continue to exist, and most of them count. India's engagement with China is essential for diplomacy, trade, and coexistence, but the issue arises when cooperation becomes cover and when partnerships or funding become camouflage, and the objective changes from dialogue to subtle suasion.

The challenge for India is to remain open without getting taken in. Universities and think tanks require straightforward, transparent guidelines on how foreign partnerships are reported. Journalists also need to be transparent about who funds their work. Policymakers must encourage exchange, but with the same weight on accountability and transparency regarding all players involved.

The fake Singaporean scholars episode is a reminder of how quickly trust can be abused. Even the most experienced professionals may get caught up in techniques that appear sound on the surface. That's why awareness, and not isolation, is the ultimate defence.

CONCLUSION

All of this indicates that the new game of influence, which is no longer about boisterous propaganda but rather functions quietly, moulding narratives through individuals and institutions that appear totally normal. Pseudo-scholars, research collaborations, and media initiatives with clandestine funding all have the same function of making some viewpoints natural, and others gradually go out of the discourse.

For India, the actual challenge is remaining open without getting taken in. Media organisations, think tanks, and even universities must stay vigilant to how influence creeps in not by pressure, but by opportunity and flattery. Transparency must be the beginning: having an idea of who pays for what, and why. Other nations have gone through this before, and the lesson they give is that caution does not equal closing doors. It equals knowing who is attempting to steer your narrative, and why.

India must maintain the same balance that is open enough to continue learning, but smart enough to pay attention when someone else is stealthily driving the car. Influence in itself isn't evil, but it's part of the way the world operates. The problem is when it is hiding in plain sight. Seeing it out, naming it, and being confident in our own voice is the actual defence in this type of quiet, subtle battle.

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BY GUNJAN YADAV AND SHRIYA SAWANT

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